by Anantha Krishna B | Jun 28, 2022 | Announcements
Recruiting the right person for the right job has always been a problem for the employer. Inthe olden days, when agriculture was the mainstay of the world economy, slaves, peasantsand landless labourers worked on the farm. When agriculture was diversified, specializationof skills became necessary to handle plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom,etc.The eighteenth century ushered in the Industrial Revolution. In the period that followed,middlemen played a major role in supplying the required number of labours to variousindustries. They compelled poor peasants and slaves to work in factories. Thus started themigration of agricultural labourers from rural to industrial towns in search of work . Allthese people became industrial workers. The conditions of work in factories and life inindustrial towns were miserable for these people. The novels of Charles Dickens portray theinhuman conditions under which these people lived in the industrial towns of England in theeighteenth century. So, it was felt necessary to have a special agency to look after thewelfare of the employees. Thus, the HR department came into existence in the early 1900s.In the initial days, the HR department used flyers, posters, etc. to attract talent. Then itshifted to the print media to have a wider canvas. Globalisation in the last quarter of the20th century necessitated novel recruitment methods such as TV advertisements, job fairs,exhibitions, conferences, etc.The 21st-century use many novel tools such as social media for recruitment of talent. Socialmedia like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, etc. are fantastic tools used by corporatesto zero in on the specific talent they require. There are walk-in interviews, online interviews,conferences, assessment of CVs, performance reports, etc. for recruiting and promotion oftalent....
by Josin Jacob | Jan 11, 2022 | Announcements
Financial markets can be defined as any marketplace where buying and selling of securities take place. These markets play an instrumental role in the smooth flow of operations in capitalist economies. Markets mainly function via Investors who can be defined as the people who commit capital with the expectation of receiving financial returns. There are various categories of investors in a financial market and the following section will throw light on some of the major categories of investors. Public or Retail investors, DIIs, FIIs, and Proprietary trading firms can be considered as some of the main categories of investors in the Indian markets. Retail investors represent non-professional market participants who generally invest smaller amounts. While these non-institutional investors are usually less knowledgeable, less disciplined, less skillful, and more prone to behavioral and emotional errors, Institutional Investors are sophisticated, knowledgeable, and are less prone to make uneducated investments. The following section provides insights into the categories of Investors mentioned above. 1. RETAIL INVESTORS A Retail Individual Investor applies or bids for securities of or for a value that does not exceed Rs 2,00,000 in an IPO. They buy or hold shares worth less than Rs 2,00,000 in a stock. There are no limits in commodities defining a retail investor. They buy and sell securities or funds that contain a basket of securities such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). They purchase securities for their accounts and often trade in much lower amounts than institutional investors like mutual funds, pension funds, EPFO, or foreign institutional investors. The purchasing power of these investors is small which puts them in a situation...
by Suvin David | Sep 9, 2021 | Blog
“Be prepared for trouble. Don’t fall apart when trouble strikes.”- Carl Sommer The second wave of covid-19 has pushed us to adopt completely different workplace norms which are expected to continue at least for a while. Being glued to a lot of negativity has created an overwhelming fear and financial pressure resulting from uncertainty. Crores of people have lost their jobs and furloughed, and incomes have taken a huge hit. The lives of those who haven’t lost their jobs took an unexpected turn, with work-from-home being the new norm or normal. And the result- The financial setup of many people no longer matches their needs and finding a way forward appears close to impossible. However, being prepared and setting a realistic plan can work wonders. So now, let’s take a look at the tips suggested to equip us to survive this tough phase. Revisit Your Finances and Prioritize Your Goals The first wave of covid-19 took a huge toll on economic activity. The onset of the second wave and the recent happenings indicate that we are heading for something worse. Under such situations, it might not be uncommon to see many of us going through serious mental pressure when it comes to the question of meeting our monthly expenses. But such situations can be managed better if we are ready to realign our financial goals. Keeping a close watch on our spending habits can be easy if we can pick- up the habit of downloading our bank statements every month. This in turn can help us understand our financial position, create a realistic budget, and review them at regular...
by Suvin David | Aug 30, 2021 | Blog
23- 29 March 2021 is a date netizens/Twitterati would never forget. This 6-day period saw a massive container ship getting stuck sideways in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking one of the busiest waterways of the world playing havoc with the global trade. The incident that began after strong winds blasted through the region, kicking up sands drew public attention launching a tsunami of memes on social media. So it’s time we took a quick look at the history and significance of the Suez Canal and the reason behind its economic significance. The 120 miles long artificial Egyptian waterway has been a potential point creating conflicts among Egypt’s neighbors (striving for dominance) ever since the year 1869. The canal connects Port Said to the Indian Ocean, via the south Egyptian city of Suez. The passage is said to enable direct shipping between Europe and Asia, eliminating the need to circumnavigate Africa, cutting voyage time by days or weeks. The time saved by the passage can never be overlooked. A ship traveling from a port in Italy at a speed of 20 knots, would take about nine days to reach India. At the same time, it would cover around 4,400 nautical miles if it passed through the Suez Canal. The second-quickest path to complete that same journey would be via the Cape of Good Hope and around Africa. Traveling at the same speed, you can traverse the route in three weeks. The canal was nationalized way back in 1956 by Egypt’s anti-colonial President Gamal Abdel Nasser. This move sparked a crisis that ended after the US intervention against invasion, resulting in the...
by Rajnikanth | Aug 9, 2021 | Blog
All of us, particularly Indians are familiar with the scenario where the females in the house hand over their monthly income to their fathers, husbands, or brothers just because of the assumption that they don’t know what to do with it or how to manage it. But there’s something at least today’s women/ girls should understand. The quality of our lives is way better when compared to how it was during our grandmother’s or great grandmother’s time. Be it at any point in our lives, one thing we women should keep in mind is the importance of being financially literate and independent so that we can also become adept at managing our finance, without depending on the males in the house. Financial Independence can be defined as the ability to earn one’s living or making good decisions with the money one has. In today’s scenario, it is equally important for men and women to be financially independent. And when it comes to the Indian scenario, I would emphasize that women have to be more independent, owing to the male-dominated society we live in. Moreover, it is observed that women outlive men in many cases, forcing them to lead their retired life alone. Let us now look at why financial independence is a must for women. i. To prevent emergencies: In today’s world, particularly after the onset of covid-19, it has become extremely important for us to be prepared for emergencies. Layoff rates have gone up and akin to our lives, jobs have also become insecure. During earlier days when the husband was the sole breadwinner with a dependent wife and children, there...
by Ajith C J | Aug 5, 2021 | Blog
A moat is a hole that is used for surrounding Medieval castles as a defense measure to make it harder for invaders to attack the castle. The wider and deeper the moat, the more protected the castle. The term Moat is also used in Economics (Economic Moats) and is a concept introduced by the business tycoon Warren Buffet. An Economic Moat is can be defined as an advantage a company enjoys over its competitors, that allows it to protect its market share and profitability. Those who are new to the concept of Moat Stocks/ Monopoly might probably be wondering about why a Monopoly status is a privilege. Here’s why. The main threat to the continued success of any organization remains its competitors and keeping them at bay is critical for sustaining one’s position/ dominance. Over time, organizations are likely to see their bottom line eroding as competitors eat away at their market share. This is why any business (that intends to remain dominant) must establish an economic moat. Economic moat represents a company’s competitive advantage that allows it to earn above-average profits for a sustainable period. Such companies become the trendsetter and the price leader, with other players gradually following the suit. Here’s a challenge for you. List down a few of the moat stocks you are familiar with and their whereabouts you could recollect. How many could you list? Given below are some of the moat stocks we have handpicked for you. IRCTC Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is involved in the provision of ticketing, catering, and tourism services to the Indian Railways. Initially established as...
by Anju Kurian & Aswathi Satish | Aug 2, 2021 | Blog
All our lives have gone topsy-turvy since the onset of the covid-19 pandemic. Particularly, with the deadly second wave, which is even more powerful and deadlier than the first wave, we are witnessing things getting worse, leaving us shocked. However, the present state of affairs has opened our eyes urging the government and to take immediate action to strengthen health infrastructure in the country and develop healthcare facilities with utmost urgency and the general public to take all the possible measures to stay safe and healthy. The most important sectors to focus on when situations take a dangerous twist like this include hospitals, diagnostic centers, pharmaceutical companies, and allied services, hygiene and immunity booster, insurance, fitness centers, medical supplies, etc. Now let’s go a little deeper into the role played by each of these sectors. HOSPITALS The role of hospitals, which are the cradles to treat and support patients with all kinds of illness, cannot be overlooked especially in times of rapid disease outbreaks. One of the reports published by the Economic Times throws light on one of the steps taken by the Appollo Hospital Group to contain the spread. They announced the launch of the Covid-19 Red Book containing evidence-based best practice guidelines on Covid-19 and non-covid cases diagnosis, treatment, and management for Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Healthcare Workers in late April this year. The book also highlights various aspects of Covid and non-covid cases management, two of which are the mental well-being of patients & staff and checklists for every department. DIAGNOSTIC CENTRES Laboratories play a pivotal role in the early detection and diagnosis of diseases. With...
by Reuben Thomas Kurian | Jun 10, 2021 | Blog
INTRODUCTION Presently, the world is collectively fighting an enemy that is omnipresent; invisible, fast-moving, and indiscriminate. In man’s search for peace and progress we have spent decades removing barriers and connecting up in trading knowledge and goods, bringing all races into an ever-more tightening circle, and in the process creating the perfect environment for a foe like COVID-19 to take full advantage of. The speed with which it has spanned the globe has shocked societies and markets into almost complete paralysis. The rapid and dynamic nature of the situation presents our leaders with the difficult decision, which need to be assessed and changed even by the hour. The world will never be the same again, and for most of us, we can’t really think beyond the present… and survival, but as the Persian proverb says ‘this too shall pass’. Or will it? Whatever the answer, we can only start to assume what the future might look like by endeavoring to understand the past, and how the present circumstances will impact our habits and behaviors as a species. This virus has suddenly burst the bubble of unsustainable trading which had been created and funded by the printing of money since the last Global Financial Crisis in 2008-2009. The total world debt is about $130 Trillion greater today than it was in GFC1, and a painful correction has been predicted since 2017. So even if this virus is contained and conquered within the year (and that will be a medical triumph) the financial markets and the global economy face an altogether more daunting road to recovery. Right now, success is to...
by Suvin David | Jun 7, 2021 | Blog
Life is uncertain and we don’t have control over what happens to us. However happy and peaceful our lives seem, a change in our buying patterns/a minor incident with severe repercussions would be all it would require to turn our lives topsy-turvy. However, the best thing one can do to lead a happy and stable life is to be watchful of signs that indicate the onset of a financial disaster, plan, and take the necessary measures to ward off such situations. But to keep financial disasters at bay, it is vital to develop an awareness of the indicators to look for to identify those situations. Let us now delve into some of those indicators. i. Absence of emergency funds: The absence/ lack of a sufficient amount of money to meet emergencies have a very high tendency to destroy our financial security in one blow. The need to borrow money due to our thoughtlessness and absence of enough funds can lead to a situation where it would take months or even years to clear your liabilities. ii. Frequently borrowing money: Inability to keep up with our bills may make us dependent on our kith and kin for help. While borrowing once creates temporary setbacks, frequently borrowing without repaying the sum previously borrowed is a very clear signal that you are in deep trouble. When this happens, your family and friends shall stop lending you money forcing you to look for other options which, on falling behind will have serious repercussions. iii. You put a lot on your credit card: In case your family members are unwilling to lend money when...
by Suvin David | Jun 7, 2021 | Announcements
Investment decisions are one of the most important financial decisions we make in our lives. These days, we have a plethora of investment options that we are confused about which one to go with. I would say we are even more confused about the parameters to be considered before choosing an investment option. We do consider a few of them, but we tend to overlook a majority of them. Let us dig a little deeper into some of those overlooked factors. i. TIME HORIZON Time horizon/ investment time horizon is one of the crucial determinants of our investment decision. As we all know investment time horizons are mainly of five types, viz.: Very short-term; less than 3 months Short-term (3-12 months) Medium-term (1-3 years) Long-term (3-10 years) Very long-term (10+ years) With the increasing length of time horizons, the nature of risk our investments are exposed to can vary. Ideally, in a growing economy like India, equity assets are the category that offers a much greater scope of wealth creation when it comes to long duration. ii. INVESTMENT RISKS Investments can be exposed to risks arising from a variety of factors viz., Markets, Nature of Asset Class, Manufacturer, Financial and Regulatory Environment, Political Climate, etc. However, we should understand that these risks tend to vary depending upon the nature of the asset class. Equity risks are mainly driven by the market, company, and sector, but debt risks generally appear in the form of credit risk, liquidity, reinvestment, etc. iii. LIQUIDITY Investment options can turn worthless if it doesn’t help us liquidate them when in need. Life is uncertain and...
